Stoic Luft Hoody Synthetic Insulated Sweater - Men's

Rick Luft reviews his Luft hoodie

rick luft

Member since  Jul 19, 2012

Posted on August 17, 2012

I bought this because I needed an insulating layer as well as my last name is Luft. It fits well but its still August and I am praying for snow just like you are. But its well made and I look forward to many seasons of warmth.

One of the best all around jackets ever

Jonathan Bolton

Member since  Nov 12, 2010

Posted on August 6, 2012

I had an older model of this jacket. I used in everywhere from skiing to boating to a night on the town. It's lite and the fit was perfect for me. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an affordable, lite-weight, comfortable, warm, performance jackets.

Nice comfortable light insulator, good value!

Ron montanaslider

Member since  Oct 7, 2009

Posted on June 20, 2012

I picked this up. (June 2012) on closeout @ 65% off , and at that price this jacket is amazing. I agree with some othe posts that the stoic quality is not quite up to the quality of Mtn H. Panta G, OR.and some others.....but they are very close and a better value.

This is very comparable to a M.H. compressor, although not primaloft, and does not have the non quilted design. (the quilting is easily snagged on this jacket/ sweater) or nearly as nice stitching. Just out of the bag, new, i found 6 or 7 loose threads and 2 poorly stiched seams .....but this is easy to fix. I did not find any issues with the hood as some reviews have stated? I wonder if this is a newer version? Any way the hood is large, but it has nice elastic cord adjustments around the face and at the back of the hood to make the fit very good, with or without a helmet. No issue for me. Also the cuffs have been mentioned as snug, but again fits nice on me. In fact the overal fit is awsome! I got a medium and am 5.10 175. It may be a touch big compared to other mediums i have, but i like the non binding feel and little longer arms. I would probably not layer more than a T and a warm longshirt under it, then mayby a shell over and that is exactly what i wanted it for. It can double as well as a a warm sweater/ hoody and take backpacking for sitting around at night, or wearing to bed if you brought to light a sleeping bag. (This better than down for this as it wont compress and loose its insulating value.) It has a nice fleeced lined chin guard, and fleece lined pockets. All zips worked smoothly. This is not a belay style over puffy or a heavy duty outer layer, you need to treat it gently as a insulator piece, and i think its designed very well for its purpose.

Over all very nice ! and I like the bright colors!

I like it!

ian3317683

Member since  Dec 29, 2010

Posted on May 21, 2012

This is an all-around great jacket. I love the fit and the color, it's also warm and seems like it will whit stand the test of time but we'll see about that. However, I do have a couple of complaints. The helmet is huge (yes, even for a helmet compatible hood) and there is nowhere to tuck away the cord you can pull to adjust the size. Also, the quality control on the sewing isn't that great. The seams are not the cleanest. However, for what I paid I think its a great jacket!

It works

rjb4858386

Member since  Mar 27, 2012

Posted on April 26, 2012

This jacket gets the job done. It's lightweight, warm, water repellent and it has some well thought-out features. I really like the internal sleeve cuffs and the pockets are well sized and positioned.

Still, as with other Stoic products, you pay for what you get. The zipper pulls are laughably cheap, the hood is way too big and the dimensions are a bit off. Also, I'm a perfect medium in other jackets, but the medium in this jacket is borderline too large for me.

If you are on a budget, this jacket will work, but if you have the money, you should spring for one of the higher quality competitors.

Love this Jacket

John Rouse

Member since  Apr 25, 2012

Posted on April 25, 2012

Love this jacket. Zippers are great and easy to open. Pockets are great, even has a pass through for my headset on interior pocket. Hood fits over my helmet. Great midlayer or worn by itself when warmer and its so comfortable.

I like it a lot

Matt Bourget

Member since  Apr 24, 2009

Posted on February 20, 2012

This jacket is great for wearing around town, under a shell or for whatever you want. I'm 6'2" 190 lbs and the large fits my arms well but is a little loose around the chest but not too bad. I wear it all the time and am very happy with it.

My favorite jacket

Matt Leonard

Member since  Jun 10, 2011

Posted on February 19, 2012

I just picked one of these up a few weeks ago, and totally in love. I wear it around town, as a layer on my motorcycle, and it will be with me in the mountains soon.

First - the fit. I'm 6', 185 pounds, and the medium is great. It's slim fitting (stylish, and great under a shell), but not short at all in the length or the arms. Perfect fit, even with a layer underneath (like a capilene or something). My only slight issue - the wrist cuffs have a really nice elastic "under cuff" - which is a bit tight to get on over my wrists. Once it's on - it's awesome - keeps warmth in is cozy. But a touch more elastic would help in getting it on/off.

Warmth? Awesome. I have a Patagonia hi-loft Down jacket as well, and this thing feels just as warm, but far less bulky. It's not really a "puffy" it style, though it has the warmth of one. Blocks wind great (including the 70mph on my motorcycle winds), and the soft pockets are a nice touch.

All in all, really happy. Easily the most versatile jacket I've owned.

great choice

jwg413

Member since  Feb 17, 2012

Posted on February 17, 2012

I am about 6' tall and 175lbs and the medium is a great fit. This size is very trim and comfortable with a couple underlayers. I have used the jacket for one big day trip in the Whites. Otherwise just a few 2hr. ish hikes in the area. The jacket is great for very active use (which seems to be what its made for) and seems to breathe well. Standing around in the cold or belaying I would want a more substantial puffy. Fit well under a hard shell but when active and in decent weather great on its own. Only gripe is it does seem to already be showing some wear from minimal use. I may be hesitant to pay full price for it. Looks good around town too; good color choices!

Almost the belay jacket I wanted

cph in CO

Member since  Mar 18, 2009

Posted on February 16, 2012

This jacket was almost what I was looking for. That is to say a good, synthetic-fill, belay jacket. My only issue was with the sleeves, which were ridiculously thin. I realize it's billed as a sweater, but it's also a hoody, and the hood is obviously helmet compatible.

I really wanted to like this jacket, but those sleeves. I'd love to say the reason for it is because my forearms are so buff (yeah, right.) Or perhaps that I was unfairly trying to make it a belay jacket that I could have thrown over my another jacket, perhaps even two (soft shell + hard shell.) But even as a layering piece, I couldn't even wear anything under it other than a base layer. It was too snug over just my Gamma AR alone.

What hurts the most is that I think the problem could easily be solved by adding a bit of stretch knit in the sleeves, (Mont Bell does this on a lot of their jackets.) I don't want to discourage anyone from purchasing this jacket, nor take anything aware from the other reviews. I just wanted to make note of this and make a hopefully suggest to the folks at Backcountry.com, which is great company as many know.

Recommended

Scott E.

Member since  Jan 30, 2012

Posted on January 30, 2012

Pros:
This is my favorite jacket for mild winter days around town and it always gets stuffed into my pack for day and backpacking trips. It is amazingly warm - seems as warm as my down puffy coat that is three times as thick. It stuffs about the same as the down jacket - maybe a little smaller. Since it is less bulky than the down it is a better choice for active sports like skiing. I have worn it at resorts and in the backcountry. It is a good choice for kicking up a cold windy ridge because of the combination of warmth, breathability, and low bulk. The smooth surface sheds snow unlke a sweater or fleece, so you say drier. Definately - get the one with the hood. It increases the comfort range a lot. And, of course the synthetic insulation won't collapse in rain or on long damp trips the way down can.

Cons:
The fabric is delicate. I ripped mine skiing past a tree. The quilting thread on the surface frays after a while and looks a bit shabby. The arms are a bit long on me despite the snug fit everywhere else. The hood is too big unless you are wearing a helmet. Additon of some good adjusters would solve this problem. When I wear it over a long-sleeved shirt, the shirt sleeves work under the cuffs of the jacket and then it is a struggle to get the jacket off. This is a problem with the inner cuff design. When my hands are wet it is difficult to put the jacket on because my hands stick to the liner fabric - enough that it feels like the liner might rip.

Fantastic

pat4293222

Member since  Jan 18, 2012

Posted on January 18, 2012

Love this jacket. Warm, stylish, durable. Simply Fantastic! The only thing I will say is that they are more of a jacket than a sweater.

Warmth and Style Weaved in One

Scotty V.

Member since  Mar 18, 2009

Posted on January 15, 2012

Browsing for a new jacket for a while, I've thought about Patagonia and Marmot and all the other expensive name brands. I own a Stoic hiking tee and loved the look and its properties, so it isn't like I just skimmed past the smaller company stuff. I was honing in on down jackets for something warm. However, living in Louisville, KY means 33°, rainy winters. Really wet, nasty stuff. Knowing how I operate when I'm out-and-about, my shell would most likely be in my room, back at home. So down was scratched. I picked this up for a sale price because A)it's synthetic and B) it's stylish.

I'm 6'2" 160lbs. and the medium is a perfect fit with ample room to layer even a fleece track jacket. In the picture I've pulled the sleeve back so you could see the placement of the wrist gaiter.

As weird as our weather is, it was 10° the night I received it from Backcountry. My core stayed toasty all night out partying with friends, bar hopping and the like. It's lightweight, has comfortable fleece-lined pockets and neck protector, and, best of all, the ability to have attractive girls approach you and always comment: I'm diggin' that purple.

Thanks Stoic.

Light & Warm

Laurence Wayne Lee

Member since  Jan 4, 2012

Posted on January 15, 2012

This is a super light and warm insulating layer from stoic. I picked this up to use it underneath my softshell and it plays an important role as a mid layer on those cold days. I ended up sending it back in exchange for the luft down sweater because I didn't need the hood. Did I mention that it's super light and packs down pretty small? The sleeves have the perfect cuffs so that they stay in place when layering and the inside pocket is set so that you can use your mp3 player with headphones.

Cool looking warm jacket

yec4313172

Member since  Dec 13, 2011

Posted on January 10, 2012

The jacket is warm, light weight, and it blocks the wind well. The fit is loose. The cuff is tight, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depends on your wrist watch. The cuff can't be pulled over my 48mm diameter wrist watch without damage to the cuff. The color combination, Deep/Empire is cool. One thing I noticed with Stoic is that the thread they sewn the jacket together is made of very fine yarn, probably polyester. This thread doesn't stand up to abrasion, and it turns fuzzy since the yarn is so fine. The threads near my cuff is turning into fleece like. I am considering returning the jacket, but my wife is sick and tired of me buying jackets and returning them for "slightest flaws". Considering the price I paid at SAC, I am keeping this one. New York is cold this month.

my official review

Bucket

Member since  Dec 28, 2010

Posted on December 14, 2011

I got this jacket because I wanted a synthetic insulator to add to my winter layering quiver. I've used this for the early part of the ski season this year, and have found it is perfectly warm in a wide range of temperatures depending upon the level of physical activity. So far it seems that in moderate levels of activity it remains in the comfort zone for me down to the single digits as long as proper underlayment is worn against the skin.
I am also impressed with how wind repellent it is. For such a relatively thin layer for it's insulation, I find myself sometimes anticipating the breeze and never feeling it, I notice this most when wearing only a t-shirt underneath, and my arms feel no wind whatsoever. This is probably aided by the cuffs at the end of the sleeves which are very snug. It is a bit hard to view my watch due to the cuff, but I feel it aids the garment sufficiently overall not to ding any stars on the review because of this.
The biggest test I have seen this jacket undergo was last week. Surprisingly, this was a sailing cruise in the Hawaiian islands in a 40' sloop. After already knowing I liked the performance of this jacket in the cold, I never thought I'd see it shed wave after wave of sea water as we sailed across the heavy seas in the Hawaiian island channels. In my review pictures I'm wearing the red Marmot jacket, and Grant is in my Luft jacket. After washing them both at the same time with the NikWax wash-in Tx before the trip, my Marmot was beading water just as fast as the Luft, wave after wave. While this doesn't mean I would trust it in a cold rainstorm in the northern rockies, It is nice to know that you could put this on in your tent in a rain storm, go visit a tree and get back before it soaks in. Or if you're negotiating some white water, be it sea water or fresh, it can fend off the spray in an emergency, and some.